In our 167th episode, we got to chat with Dr. Alexander Hastings. He is the assistant curator of paleontology at the Virginia Museum of Natural History, and his research interests include the evolutionary relationship between temperature and body size in ectothermic animals, factors that influenced turnover and extinction in fossil predators, and evolutionary adaptations to new environments. Follow him on Twitter @Dr_CrocoGator and learn more at paleolab.org.

Episode 167 is also about Xenotarsosaurus, an abelisaurid whose name means “strange tarsus lizard.”

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Juan Carlos Sciutto found theropod remains at a fossil site in Chubut province in 1980

Later, José Fernando Bonaparte and a team found more theropod bones, potentially from the same individual

Described in 1986 by Ricardo Martínez, Olga Giménez, Jorge Rodríguez and Graciela Bochatey

Only one species: Xenotarsosaurus bonapartei

Species name in honor of José Bonaparte

Only known fossils so far are of a right hind limb, dorsal vertebrae, femur, tibia, fibula, and part of the ankle

Had a complete fusion between two of the bones of the ankle, which is unusual for a theropod (and led to its name)

Estimated to be 18 ft (5.4 m) long

Had some similarities to Carnotaurus sastrei, so scientists assigned it to Abelisauridae, though some think it’s an indeterminate neoceratosaurian theropod

Probably one of the main predators of its area, and may have preyed on Secerosaurus, a hadrosaurid, and Drusilasaura, a titanosaur

Fun Fact:

T. rex would likely eat humans if we were around at the same time. We’re about 1% their weight, which is similar to a typical human meal (for a 150 pound person, that’s a 24oz steak). And even if we were too small for an adult T. rex, a juvenile would still eat us.

Sponsor:

This episode is brought to you in part by TRX Dinosaurs, which makes beautiful and realistic dinosaur sculptures, puppets, and exhibits. You can see some amazing examples and works in progress on Instagram @trxdinosaurs.